Barclays/Nets Community Alliance Funds Hematology and Oncology Program at Camp Sunshine for Brooklyn, N.Y. Families

Special session provides one-of-a-kind camp experience in Maine for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families

CASCO, Maine (April 4, 2012) – The Barclays/Nets Community Alliance is again funding a special session at Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine on April 11-15 for families from Brooklyn, N.Y., with children afflicted with blood diseases and cancer, Camp Sunshine officials have announced.

Camp Sunshine offers children with life-threatening illnesses and their families a one-of-a-kind camp experience, providing the entire family the opportunity to connect and rebuild relationships strained from the pressures of the illness.

Forty families are expected to attend the Hematology and Oncology Session in April. A number of families have signed up already, but there are still more openings. Interested families are encouraged to contact Camp Sunshine at (207) 655-3800 or www.campsunshine.org.

The special session is sponsored, for the third year in a row, by the Barclays/Nets Community Alliance, an organization formed by the NBA’s Nets, developer Forest City Ratner Companies, and Barclays Capital. The Alliance is committed to investing $1 million annually in non-profits that work to improve the lives of Brooklyn-area youths.

“Camp Sunshine is a great resource for families dealing with a child who has cancer,” said Gerard LaRocca, Chief Administrative Officer at Barclays Capital. “The idyllic setting on Sebago Lake is the perfect backdrop for family connections, and is the perfect venue through which we can help sick children and families from Brooklyn.”

The Barclays/Nets Community Alliance is covering the entire cost of the session at Camp Sunshine, including $10,000 for bus transportation for the families from Brooklyn to Maine and back. This year marks the third year that the organization has sponsored a session at Camp Sunshine, with a total commitment over that span of $215,000.

“The continued generous support from the Barclays/Nets Community Alliance is tremendous,” said Matthew Hoidal, Executive Director of Camp Sunshine. “An important long-term benefit of Camp Sunshine is the social network, and thanks to the Alliance, Brooklyn families will be able to make connections they can take home with them, in addition to enjoying a much-needed break.”

Nestled alongside the shores of beautiful Sebago Lake, Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org) provides children with life-threatening illnesses and their families a place to relax together for a week and to take a break from the extraordinary demands placed on them on a daily basis.

The year-round program is free of charge and staffed almost entirely by volunteers. It is the only program in the nation whose mission is to address the impact of a life-threatening illness on every member of the immediate family.

Camp Sunshine recently received a coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s leading independent charity evaluator. The rating placed Camp Sunshine 39th in the country out of thousands of charities that were exhaustively analyzed for financial oversight, management and transparency.

About Camp Sunshine
Camp Sunshine offers children with life-threatening illnesses and their families a place to relax together for a week, and to take a break from the extraordinary demands placed upon them on a daily basis. The year-round program is free of charge and staffed almost entirely by volunteers. It is the only program in the nation whose mission is to address the impact of a life-threatening illness on every member of the immediate family — the ill child, the parents and the siblings. Since its inception in 1984, Camp Sunshine has provided a haven for more than 32,000 individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. In addition to providing 24-hour on-site medical and psychosocial support, the camp offers a variety of daily activities, including swimming, boating, archery and soccer, and special events such as bonfires and cookouts. To support Camp Sunshine, please call (207) 655-3800 or visit www.campsunshine.org.

About the Barclays/Nets Community Alliance
Created in November 2007, the Barclays Nets Community Alliance is a collective initiative between Barclays Capital, Nets Basketball, and Forest City Ratner Companies. Committed to the physical and educational development of youth in Brooklyn and surrounding communities; the Alliance will invest $1 million per year in nonprofits that work to improve the lives of young people in Brooklyn and New York City through sports and other activities, including education and health care.

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Here is more information about Camp Sunshine